(The Gender Centre advise that this article may not be current and as such certain content, including but not limited to persons, contact details and dates may not apply. Where legal authority or medical related matters are cited, responsibility lies with the reader to obtain the most current relevant legal authority and/or medical publication.)

Metropolitan Community Church

by Sharon StolzenbergArticle appeared in Polare magazine: March 2004 Last Update: October 2013 Last Reviewed: February 2014

Metropolitan Community Church: 96 Crystal Street Petersham.

... it doesn't matter if one is straight, transgender, gay, lesbian, bisexual ... trying to help people who have been hurt by hate speeches by some
denominations in the past.

I am a member of Metropolitan Community Church, Sydney (96 Crystal Street Petersham). I am in the process of developing a special ministry with a
church in-service and outreach focus for transgender people who may be in search of a Christian Church that affirms transgender people whilst at the same time being inclusive of
other marginalised people who are gay, lesbian or bisexual and their families and friends.

This is a church where one doesn't have to subscribe to any labels, where if you wish to be part of a wonderful group of loving Christians who affirm their
L.G.B.T.I. experience then you can be. It is a church where we can celebrate God's love for us without the
need to hide who we are or our experiences.

I know from my own experience that I can go along to some Catholic churches, and while none may pick up or guess that I am a woman of transsexual background, I feel that I can't
'just hide' whenever I witness or hear homophobic, transphobic and other hate speech against transgender, gay, lesbian and bisexual people, as often it is used and preached in such
churches.

I am not one who is going to hang around with such a church, if I cannot be who I am first and foremost, as created by God, and to be in communion with God and the faithful, if I just
hide and silently bear witness to preaching that I find to be against the spirit of Christianity.

While I am a female, girl and woman, and regard myself as always having been so, even when I had a different body - I am the sort of woman who will bear witness to the truth that God's
children do include transsexed, intersexed, gays, lesbian and bisexual people.

Jesus Christ, whilst not being a self-righteous moralist and do-gooder preacher, never denied who he was, that is the child of humanity and the child of God, even when persecuted by
the religious authorities and by other status quo stakeholders with threats of stoning to death and the imminent threat of a horrible death; and further even unto the actual arrest, trial
and crucifixion. So if Jesus, who is much greater that I or any other human, calls me into being a sister, a child of God, then it would be a greater sin for me to a deny that I am a
child of God and a woman of transsexed background. God called and continues to call me into a loving relationship. The God that made me, who and what I am and loves be because what God
made is good, As stated in Genesis, "God saw what God had made, and behold it was good". [Gen. 1: 1-31]

I am also a human with human frailties and weaknesses and therefore I have the potential to do virtuous things and also to sin, or miss the mark in many ways in my actions and thoughts
at times, but God's promise to forgive me and to help me to be a more Christ-like person is what is important.

This brings to heart and mind a powerful Gospel story. When asked by a 'teacher of the law' one day what was the greatest commandment of God for humans to follow, Jeshua
(Jesus) replied "The first is: Yisham Yisrael, the Sovereign, our God is one Sovereign; and you shall love the Sovereign, your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all
your mind and with all your strength". And after this comes another one: "You shall love your neighbour (fellow person) as you love yourself. There is no greater commandment
than these two". [Mark 12: 28-31].

Now if I or any other person is to even begin to try and follow these commandments we need first to believe in a god that is worthy of the sort of devotion that Jesus is
telling us to do. A God who so loves us even when we sinners, and who always calls us to repent (change our ways that are not leading to good and to life). When we have faith that is both
mysterious and based on reflection of how God has worked in our lives, then the first commandment holds for us a sense of belonging and purpose. God wants us to love God (her or him).
That says a lot to me about how much God cares for me.

The second part of the commandment would be impossible to fulfil if I, or any other person could not love themselves so much that they couldn't love another person as they love
themselves. If I, now that I can love myself, taking into account all my humanity the 'saint and sinner' (self-acceptance and peace within), then I am well on my way to being able to love
another (forgiving others and being in right relationship or justice with them).

So if I were to hate myself for being transsexed or listened to the half-truths and lies told by fundamentalist preachers and told myself that I am unworthy or unlovable even to
myself, let alone to God, then I would cease to be a person who could love anyone else).

That is why, after reflecting on the truth of the Gospels, I am convinced that I was not only created by God as a person belonging to God's diverse creation, being born transsexed and
being guided to pursue in life the goals that would make me a wholesome, peaceful and loving person by being the woman I am; but that God loves me and cherishes me as who I am. "God
loves me, absolutely". "God loves trannies absolutely", "God loves all God's creation, absolutely".

So then, I have found a church where it doesn't matter if one is straight, transgender, gay, lesbian or bisexual, but at the same time being positively affirming, in the sense of
trying to help people who have been hurt by hate speech by some denominations in the past. That is a wonderful life­-giving and spiritually enriching experience to hear that God loves us
as transgender women and men, and so it is for our gay, lesbian and bisexual brothers and sisters.

The pastor, Reverend Greg Smith, is a wonderful caring person. So too is the youth pastor, Reverend Johnathan Jones. They, as well as other certain key members of
M.C.C. Sydney have given much encouragement for a ministry that has a focus for transsexual and transgender people.

Metropolitan Community Church

Metropolitan Community Church, Sydney is a progressive Christian church, open to all people who want to learn more about God. We give thanks to God for people of all
genders, sexualities, ages and cultural backgrounds. M.C.C. is an inclusive place of worship. We invite you to come as you are,
whether you identify as Christian, come from another faith background or are of no prior faith tradition.

Polare Magazine is published quarterly in Australia by The Gender Centre Inc. which
is funded by the Department of Family & Community Services under the S.A.A.P.
program and supported by the N.S.W. Health Department through the
AIDS and Infectious Diseases Branch. Polare provides a forum for discussion and debate on
gender issues. Unsolicited contributions are welcome, the editor reserves the right to edit such contributions without notification. Any submission which
appears in Polare may be published on our internet site. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, The Gender
Centre Inc., the Department of Family & Community Services or the
N.S.W. Department of Health.

The Gender Centre is committed to developing and providing services and activities, which enhance the ability of people with
gender issues to make informed choices. We offer a wide range of services to people with gender issues, their partners, family members and friends in New South
Wales. We are an accommodation service and also act as an education, support, training and referral resource centre to other organisations and service
providers. The Gender Centre is committed to educating the public and service providers about the needs of people with gender issues. We specifically aim to
provide a high quality service, which acknowledges human rights and ensures respect and confidentiality.

Youth Support Group

14 to 29 years?

All gender questioning trans and gender-queer young people are welcome to participate in this eight week support group. The next group will
commence when we have eight people interested in participating.

For more information, call;

(02) 9569 2366

related articles

Willow Arune reports that Transgender Emergence by Arlene Istar Lev is a very lucid and thickly packed book that should be on your therapist's shelf, and
yours as well if you wish to understand this strange drive shared by those who are transgender and gender variant.

The medical profession has treated John's transsexual issues as part of his schizophrenia and mental illness, and in this interview with Polare Magazine, John
expresses his feelings toward the transgender community and his place within it.

Would You Like to Advertise Here?

Reach Thousands of People! Promote Your Community Service Organisation!

The Gender Centre website receives thousands of hits each week from transgender, gender diverse and gender questioning people, their
families and friends, students, medical professionals and other service providers, media outlets, political organisations and lobby groups from Sydney, New
South Wales, Australia and around the world.

Negotiable rates for appropriate Community Services Organisations. Contact the Gender Centre today on (02) 9569 2366 or
send us an email!

The Gender Centre Inc. is funded by the N.S.W.
Government Department of Human Services, Community Services under the S.A.A.P. program
and supported by the N.S.W. Health, Sydney Local Health District through the
AIDS and Infectious Diseases Branch.